thresher

American  

[thresh-er] / ˈθrɛʃ ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that threshes.

2. Also called thresher shark.  Also a large shark of the genus Alopias, especially A. vulpinus, which threshes the water with its long tail to drive together the small fish on which it feeds.

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thresher British  

/ ˈθrɛʃə /

noun

1. a person who threshes

2. short for threshing machine

3. Also called: thrasher.   thresher shark.  any of various large sharks of the genus Alopias, esp A. vulpinus, occurring in tropical and temperate seas: family Alopiidae. They have a very long whiplike tail with which they are thought to round up the small fish on which they feed

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Etymology

Origin of thresher

First recorded in 1350–1400, thresher is from the Middle English word thressher. See thresh, -er ¹

Explanation

A machine or tool used for separating seeds from a grain can be called a thresher. The mechanical thresher was invented in the 18th century. Threshers have simplified the work of agriculture, automating a job that humans once spent tedious hours doing. A combine is an even more efficient machine, combining a thresher and a harvester—it picks the grain and separates its seeds. A scythe is a curved knife used for hand threshing, and the thresher shark gets its name from a resemblance to this tool.

Example Sentences

We’re not talking about a loom, a thresher, or a bolt-turning robot.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

The research team collaborated with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to gain access to thresher specimens that had stranded onshore or been salvaged from fishing competitions.

From New York Times • Jan. 24, 2024

Prior research has examined the vertebrae of thresher sharks, but in the context of the forces experienced during swimming.

From Science Daily • Jan. 17, 2024

Phoenix, meanwhile, has resembled basketball’s version of a thresher, ripping through the NBA and extracting what it wants.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2022

Once, after he made a trip out with refilled jugs, I spotted a tiny figure standing on top of the thresher with Karl.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson